What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory - for all its strength, it cannot save you.
But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.
We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
Here is a list of the family leaders and the genealogies of those who came with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
From the family of Phinehas: Gershom. From the family of Ithamar: Daniel. From the family of David: Hattush, a descendant of Shecaniah. From the family of Parosh: Zechariah and 150 other men were registered. From the family of Pahath-moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and 200 other men. From the family of Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel and 300 other men. From the family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan and 50 other men. From the family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and 70 other men. From the family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael and 80 other men. From the family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel and 218 other men. From the family of Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah and 160 other men. From the family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai and 28 other men. From the family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan and 110 other men. From the family of Adonikam, who came later: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men. From the family of Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur, and 70 other men.
I assembled the exiles at the Ahava Canal, and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along. So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders of the people. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Levites at Casiphia, to ask him and his relatives and the Temple servants to send us ministers for the Temple of God at Jerusalem.
Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel. They also sent Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and twenty of his sons and brothers, and 220 Temple servants. The Temple servants were assistants to the Levites - a group of Temple workers first instituted by King David and his officials. They were all listed by name.
I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes - the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.